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Tiger Consulting Asia UAE

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Tiger Executive Services FZE

Office No. 1204, 12th Floor, A-4, Building RAKIA Business Center – 5, Ras Al Khaimah, U.A.E

Tel: +919535003506

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.tiger-consulting.net Key Country Facts

Official Language Arabic is the official language of the . However, due to the fact that the UAE was under British protection until 1971 and because many different people from different cultures live and do business there, English is widely used as the official trade language.

Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham (AED)

Time Zone: The time zone for the United Arab Emirates is United Arab Emirates Standard Time or UAE Standard Time. It is 4 hours ahead of GMT/UTC.

Capital City: is the capital of United Arab Emirates.

Laws and Customs: The UAE has a federal court system that consists of three branches within the court structure- civil, criminal and Sharia law. Their judicial system in the UAE is derived from the civil law system and Sharia law. The court system consists of civil courts and Sharia courts. UAE laws and customs are very different than those in the UK and the USA for instance. Be aware of your actions so you don’t offend, especially during the month of Ramadan. You are strongly advised to familiarize yourself with them prior to visiting.

Establishing a company/legal entity in Country

Employment: An Employment Visa and Residence Permit are required for a person to enter, and work over the long term in, the UAE. Nationals in the UAE can enter into an employment contract at any time.

Working Hours: Full-time employees- 40-48 hours from Sunday-Thursday

Banking and payments: The primary financial regulatory authority is The UAE Central Bank. It is mandated to direct monetary, credit and banking policy and supervise over its implementation in accordance with the state's general policy.

Visa’s & work permits: If you are relocating to UAE for employment purposes, you are required to get a labor card and residency visa. If you already arranged employment prior to arriving in the UAE, you will be issued a 30-day employment visa, which allows you to start working immediately. During this 30-day period your employer will complete the processing of your labor card and residency visa.

Establishing a company/legal entity in Country

Public Holiday Employees are entitled to an official holiday with full pay on the following days:

 New Year’s Day 1 day - January 1st  Prophet Mohammad’s birthday 1 day  Isra and Miaraj (Ascension day) 1 day  Ramadan 1 day - Beginning of Ramadan  Eid Al-Fitr 2 days - End of Ramadan  Eid Al Adha 3 days  Arafat Day (Second day of Haj) 1 day  Hijri New Year’s Day 1 day  UAE National Day 1 day

Islamic holiday exact dates are subject to moon sightings and may differ from the date given.

Tax & Social Security

Personal Income Tax UAE is a tax-free country. There are no taxes withheld from employee salaries. In the UAE social security contributions are only applicable to UAE nationals. If UAE nationals are employed, both the employer and employee are required to make social security contributions. Expatriates employed in the UAE and the employer of an expatriate are not required to make social security contributions in the UAE.

Reporting requirements There are no employer reporting and withholding requirements in the UAE.

Employment Law There is no federal tax in the UAE so there are no federal withholding obligations.

Employees

Payslips: Monthly available on web-site, pdf or paper

Holiday allowance: Currently, the labor law mandates seven paid holidays. In addition, after completing three months of continuous service, employees are entitled to 15 sick days at full pay.

Annual Leave: An employee is entitled to two days leave for every month if employee’s service is more than six months and less than a year. After that, an employee is entitled to 30 days annually if service exceeds one year.

Sickness: After a period of three months continuous service following the probation period, employees are entitled to full wage for the first 15 days and half wage for the next 30 days.

Benefits to the employee in country

Pension There is no socialized pension system in the UAE, unless you’re an Emirati citizen. As there is no income tax, there are no tax-efficient private superannuation schemes either. If you don’t intend to stay in the UAE, keeping your foreign pension arrangements may be the most practical option.

Expatriates:

Accommodation When living in the UAE you will find yourself in one of the seven states (emirates) : Abu Dhabi, , , , Umm Al-Qaiwain, Ras Al-Khaimah or . In the United Arab Emirates, you will find different types of very recent and even brand-new accommodations. You can rent an apartment or a villa with facilities, depending on your preferences and your budget.

To find a house or an apartment to rent in Dubai, the best approach is to visit a real estate agency. Searching the classified ads in the papers, or checking with your company are viable options as well. There is plenty of expat accommodations in Dubai. There are many accommodation options in Abu Dhabi as well. The vast majority of expats rent apartments in the city. However, an increasing number of residents are moving off the main island in pursuit of cheaper housing, but keep in mind that life in these communities involve longer commute times.

Benefits to the employee in country

Transportation The UAE has an extensive and well-developed road network, particularly where the main population centers are located in the Northern Coastal area. Private vehicles are commonly used in the country. Bus services are available in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In Dubai the bus service is called DubaiBus and are part of the RTA. Mowasalat operates buses in Sharjah. Due to lack of rail connectivity in the region, bus services also operate in between the different emirates. This will change in the near future. The only commercially operational railway network in the UAE is the Dubai Metro. Government and private agencies operate taxi services.

Food Emirati is a blend of many Middle Eastern and Asian . Their cuisine is a reflection of a great Arabian heritage and widespread exposure to civilizations over time. The UAE modern diet is cosmopolitan, featuring a wide variety of dishes from around the world and since such a large amount of expatriates live and work there, this provides many options for everyone. is not included in Arab menus since Muslims are prohibited from eating it. , fish, and are the staple of the Emirati cuisine.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Tiger Consulting Asia + : [email protected]